Thanks to a tip from Cathy, blogger at The Knitting Life, I have purchased the Lion Brand chenille on Ebay, for a price that's much lower than the current "on sale" price at Jo-Ann's. By the way, Cathy is sponsoring a knit-a-long that will be starting soon.

For the Purling Puppies Webring folks:


I had a fabulous time at the Button Box yesterday. Within ten minutes of being in the store, I was in sensory overload from the row upon row of luscious cottons! The colors--the possibilities! Definitely mind-blowing. With the much-welcomed assistance of a staff member, I selected a fairly simple patchwork vest pattern. She suggested that I first sew up a dummy vest to make sure I get the proper size. (The pattern is for sizes 6-18.) That's a terrific idea, because I can be hard to fit as far as tops are concerned. (I'm tall, but am small-boned from the waist up and have narrow shoulders, not to mention my small bust.) So I bought 3/4 yard of a material that feels a bit like mesh interfacing. It is marked lightly with a grid of 1" squares. I got dizzy from the prospect of selecting the seven or eight different fabrics for the vest, so I browsed a bit and decided to postpone fabric selection for a later date. I did, however, find one fuschia-print batik that has royal blue and navy blue elements. As one of the central fabrics, it will make a smashing vest. And that was it.

In the late afternoon, Sophie and I puzzled over the pattern directions, and though I know I can do it, I realized that since I have done absolutely no sewing in 24 years, and have not used the sewing machine in 25 or 26 years, that I should start with a simple, simple project.

This morning I had fun poring over the Simplicity website and found a perfect pattern. We desperately need new placemats for the dining room table, so I think I'll make a holiday table-runner and coordinated placemats. I should be able to manage that! I'll stop by the Fabric Place soon.